Rochester strong: volunteers create app to support local businesses and nonprofits
Today the Dow Jones closed out its worst week since the Great Recession in 2008. Just think about that for a moment. In the matter of a couple weeks, a relatively healthy economy tanked — all because of an invisible force.
Locally, the impacts on the economy have been, in some cases, devastating. Many of our favorite businesses — from saloons to shoe stores to salons — are closing down and laying off employees. Others are fighting for survival.
Amid this unprecedented and, frankly, surreal moment in time, no one is immune to the challenges we are being confronted with. (I imagine, for instance, many of you are reading this while self-quarantining at home.)
But what I have been struck by most is the sheer grit and generosity of this community we live in. I have witnessed:
Government officials like Olmsted County Public Health Director Graham Briggs rising to the occasion and providing much-needed leadership in an uncertain time.
Healthcare workers, police officers, and bus drivers continuing to fulfill critical roles, all while knowing the risks they face.
Area restaurants like Victoria’s, Casablanca, and Potbelly’s providing free meals for children unable to go to school.
Socially-conscious businesses such as Powers Ventures giving back to the community by providing space for food donations. (Or other places such as the People’s Food Co-op giving back to their staff.)
Entrepreneurs like Tiffany Piotrowicz of TerraLoco finding creative ways to stay connected with their longtime customers.
My fellow journalists working around the clock to ensure the community stays up to date with accurate information.
And last, but certainly not least, volunteers stepping up in selfless ways to ensure their neighbors are taken care of.
One of those volunteer efforts, in particular, is worth highlighting at this moment. In less than 48 hours, a small team of individuals has put together a new web-based application that allows users to:
Access local resources.
Shop from small businesses.
Stream videos from local musicians and yoga instructors.
And — you might appreciate this the most — find which local restaurants remain open and how you can support them.
The app is called Roch Strong — and it can be accessed from any web browser, thanks to the contributions of volunteers from Collider and BrandHoot, along with data support from the Rochester Downtown Alliance and Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce.
“We really just want to put something out there quickly to help people in Rochester understand how to help local business because things were getting complicated very quickly,” said Amanda Leightner, communications director for the Collider Foundation.
While Leightner may being modest about what they have done with this initiative, the message the application sends is worthy of praise.
Together, our community will overcome COVID-19.
The volunteer-led group is now inviting others in the community to submit content that they can use to expand the app’s functionality. All you have to do is fill out a short form on the app’s about page.
As Nate Nordstrom, founder of BrandHoot and co-creator of the app, told me, “These are challenging times and we're just trying to do what we can to help support a strong community.”
You can access the Roch Strong app via this link.
Sean Baker is a Rochester journalist and the founder of Med City Beat.
Cover photo: Taco JED / William Forsman
